Stephanie Pearce: Let's enjoy holiday season

The Christmas season can be a hard time for many people. Let’s take time to encourage one another during this season and spread the warmth of the holiday.

I see posts from friends on Facebook expressing that people are acting more like the Grinch this year. I’ve had other friends mention they’re having a hard time because family members are sick or have passed on. Others are having a hard time financially and it’s taking a toll on them emotionally. Then there is the group that just runs between work and family obligations so much that they can’t relax and enjoy the holidays.

For those of you expressing that people are being the Grinch, be extra nice to them. You have no idea what they may be going through that may be causing them to act that way. They may be one that has lost a family member, or experiencing stresses of other kinds. Ask them if you can help them in any way to get into the Christmas spirit. You never know, your kindness may be just what they need to help them out of their slump.

For those with family that are sick or passed on, be there for them. For people with sick family members, ask if you can support them in any way. You could make them a dinner and bring it in something decorated Christmas-y. Maybe help them with their loved ones so that they can have some time to themselves. For those missing their loved ones that have passed, love them. Keep them busy. Ask if there is a way they could honor the ones who have passed this Christmas by making a donation in their honor or even just making a special ornament. There are so many ways you could help them get through this hard time.

For the friends that run and run and never seem to have time to just relax and enjoy, you could do so much. These are the people who rarely say no when asked to do anything. One way you could help them is ask them to do something for you and fool them into doing something for themselves. You could set up a massage in place of their chore for you. You could conspire with their spouse to make them a relaxing date night. You could offer to help them with a task that they have. Just do something to help them relax, remember what this season is about and enjoy it for a moment.

Remember, someone always is going through something, but we can always reach out to try to make it better and let them know we care. Even the smallest thoughtful thing done in love can help to make someone’s day a little better. Let’s make an extra effort to spread the warmth of the season to those who may not be feeling it right now.